


Epistles from Bavaria

by meretricula



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Epistolary, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 18:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2822504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meretricula/pseuds/meretricula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being an excerpt from the correspondence of his grace Josep Guardiola, rightful king in exile of Catalunya, and Lord Xavier, consort of his royal highness Prince Iker of Madrid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Epistles from Bavaria

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stickmarionette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stickmarionette/gifts).



> This story takes place in stickmarionette and meretricula's football royalty AU, which can be found [here](http://meretricula.livejournal.com/225279.html). Please see endnotes for a cast of characters mentioned. Moltes gràcies/vielen Dank to [redacted] for helping me flesh out the plot, and to [redacted] for cheerleading me to the finish line!

My dear brother: 

I am safe. I can only hope that you are likewise, and that the upheaval at home has not reached Madrid. I am sending the little ghost to you with this letter; if he arrives without incident, he is at your disposal. He is aware that I do not anticipate his return. 

I have no explanation for the madness that has befallen our kingdom, so I will be brief: Father is dead. Count Laporta’s intrigues were exposed, and others possibly fabricated for the purpose, by a colleague of his, one Lord Rosell; I do not know if he was encouraged in this by the alliance between Duke Perez and the faction of our esteemed friend Mr Mourinho, or if he simply seized the opportunity as it was presented to him. My Lady Cristina warned me only just in time to escape capture and, I have no doubt, execution alongside our father. I have fled to the court of Bavaria, where I have found enough allies to keep body and soul together until I am able to return. 

I was not able to reach Andres in time to bring him with me. He was taken by Rosell’s agents among the palace guard before the final pieces of his plot were put into motion, and is, I assume, being held as hostage against your and my good behavior. I can only take comfort from the reports I have heard that he was not forced to watch Father’s execution, and the fact that Victor is with him. I am not a man of prayer, but I will thank God on my knees every day for the rest of my life if only He will keep Andres safe through this. 

The eldest son of the Duke of Bavaria has taken a liking to me, and I hope that by making myself useful to him I may persuade him to lend his influence to our cause with his father. Unrest in Catalunya will disrupt trade throughout the continent, so he surely will see that neutrality in this case is not an option. At least I must do my best to convince the power-brokers of the court that this is so. My Lady Cristina has already gone to work with the local merchants, and I have high hopes that her efforts will soon bear fruit. 

I swear to you that I will not rest until our brother is free, and this petty upstart Rosell removed from our father’s throne. 

Remember me to Fernando. 

Your loving brother,  
Pep

 

My dear brother, 

Your letter has found me in good health, and sooner than I expected to hear from you. Your judgment in choosing a successor for our little ghost is, as always, impeccable, and I am certain the young Brasilian will do very well. Please do keep an eye on the younger brother and sister he mentions; if they prove half as talented as their brother believes they will be useful indeed. 

I am grateful for Prince Iker’s concern, but I believe I will make better progress for our cause if I remain here in Bavaria. Philipp, Duke Höneß’s heir, has been a strong supporter of my appeal and has promised to press my case with his father and even with the emperor of Helvetia, should the opportunity present itself. Lady Cristina has made some progress among the local merchants, but Duke Höneß so far has evaded giving me an audience, so I must rely on Philipp’s efforts on my behalf. He is a most personable young man, quite intelligent and exceedingly well-read; I believe you would like him very well, if you should ever have the chance to meet. He will make an excellent Duke when he inherits. 

Your friend among the palace guards in an invaluable source of information, and I am very glad that the little ghost has found safe passage to him. I agree that so long as Rosell is obliged to keep Andres visible, he is in little physical danger. No matter what hold he has on the population at large, Rosell cannot execute a child, especially one so well-loved as our brother, without risking a revolt. Not that these assurances have any effect upon my nightmares, but if logic will help yours in any way: I do believe our Andresito is as safe as he can be in Catalunya at the moment. I hope and suspect that by the time the situation changes, he will have won over enough of the guards to smuggle him away. You must admit he has that effect upon people. 

Please tell Fernando that I am very well, and thank him for the book. 

Your loving brother,  
Pep

 

My dear brother, 

First of all, I cannot express my relief to hear that Lord Rosell has at last been overthrown. My heart swells with pride to think of Andres organizing his first coup, and at such a tender age! You are overprotective of him, and it blinds you to his strengths, I think. I have told you before, when he is grown he will outshine us both. Of course this Minister Bartomeu who has been set up as regent is every bit as much a vulture as Rosell, but until my dear Philipp can sufficiently pressure the court to reinstate me (or you as regent, should you desire it — and perhaps that would suit better as a solution; you must speak with your husband as to the possibility) it is at least an improvement over Andres being kept locked up in some tower as a hostage and paraded out once a day to ease the public’s mind. 

As to the goings-on of the Bavarian court, your little birds have informed you rightly; Duke Höneß has abdicated and gone into voluntary exile. My Lady Cristina uncovered some very suspicious documents in the course of her business, which of course she brought to me and I to Philipp, as is proper. Truly, Philipp is the most admirable man I have ever met. I cannot imagine the pain it must have caused him to accuse his own father, but the law is the law, of course, and no man may consider himself above it. Despite his youth and the brevity of his tenure thus far, I believe he has already proven himself ten times the duke his father was. He has asked me to serve as an advisor on his Privy Council, a position which naturally I have gladly accepted — another reason, incidentally, why you must very seriously consider returning to Catalunya in my place to act as regent for Andres. I find that Bavaria suits me very well, and as I am both needed and valued here, I am somewhat reluctant to leave, although of course I miss you terribly, as well as our dear younger brother. 

You may inform Fernando, in response to his query, that Philipp has no interest in metaphysical poetry. If you are so weary of conveying our paltry sentiments to each other, you might suggest that he pen his own letter to me next time. 

As ever, your loving brother,  
Pep

**Author's Note:**

> In order of reference: 
> 
> "the little ghost": Lionel Messi, current player for FC Barcelona  
> "Father": Johan Cruyff, former coach and honorary president of FC Barcelona  
> Count Laporta: Joan Laporta, disgraced former president of FC Barcelona  
> Lord Rosell: Sandro Rosell, disgraced former president of FC Barcelona  
> Duke Perez: Florentino Perez, current president of Real Madrid  
> Mr Mourinho: Jose Mourinho, former coach of Real Madrid  
> Lady Cristina: Cristina Serra, partner of Pep Guardiola  
> Fernando: Fernando Hierro, former player for Real Madrid  
> "the young Brasilian": Thiago Alcantara, former player for FC Barcelona and current player for Bayern Munich  
> Philipp of Bavaria: Philipp Lahm, current captain of Bayern Munich  
> Duke Höneß: Uli Hoeness, disgraced former general manager of Bayern Munich  
> "the emperor of Helvetia": Sepp Blatter, current president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association  
> "your friend among the palace guards": Carles Puyol, former captain of FC Barcelona

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [fills d’una terra tenaç](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6761110) by [meretricula](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meretricula/pseuds/meretricula)




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